Bag thieves spoil revellers' Xmas joy

COLLATERAL DAMAGE: Two of the nine bags that were slashed by thieves, who made off with valuables that included phones and wallets.

Jalelah Abu Baker

Dec 31, 2013

SINGAPORE - It was not a jolly Christmas this year for some who milled among the large crowds in Orchard Road.

Nine revellers received an unpleasant surprise on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning when their bags were slit and their valuables, including mobile phones and wallets, were stolen.

The thefts took place between 7pm on Christmas Eve and 2.30am the next morning, police said yesterday.

One of the victims is a teenager who wanted to be known only as Ms Tan. At about 11pm, she was walking towards Cathay Cineleisure Orchard to check out a Christmas countdown.

The 16-year-old said: "We squeezed through the crowd when crossing the road. When I brought my bag to the front, I saw a slit on it."

She walked to a quieter spot and discovered that her iPhone 5 was missing.

The secondary-school student, who is working part-time as a waitress, had to part with more than $300 to replace the phone.

"It didn't feel good. Everyone around me was having fun, and there I was without my phone," she said.

It was a lesson that taught her to be more careful, she said.

The police have advised the public to stay vigilant when in a crowd on New Year's Eve. Among their suggestions were to keep your bag in front of you and to ensure that it is fastened or zipped at all times.